Night vision goggles have enabled military operations to continue, uninterrupted by nightfall. Indeed, those personnel with night vision goggles have been shown to have a definite advantage over adversaries who are not so equipped. Night vision goggles operate on a principle in which reflections of dimly lit objects are amplified many times, and then projected on a phosphor-coated display within the goggle. The viewer can thus observe the objects displayed even during the night. Goggles of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,252, and are normally affixed to headgear for hands-off wearing by the user.
While night vision goggles are ideally adapted for use in night combat, it is necessary that these advantages are not compromised. For example, both hands must remain free for use in carrying out other activities. Therefore, headgear has been provided for mounting the goggle to the wearer's head. In addition, in order to accommodate a single style of headgear and goggle to a variety of cranial shapes, the goggle must be adjustable with respect to the headgear. More particularly, the goggle is preferably adjustable along the line of sight of the wearer.
Various expedients have been proposed in an effort to provide adjustable goggles. One approach is disclosed in the noted patent, and includes a sliding detent arrangement for adjusting the goggles in increments along the line of sight path. While this approach provides a certain degree of adjustability, the adjustments are awkward in that one must "hunt" for the detent in order for the goggle position to be locked therein. Also, very fine gradations of adjustments are not possible.
From the foregoing, it may be seen that a need has arisen for night goggle mounting apparatus which is quickly and easily adjustable to any desired degree.